Kid’s cereals not so grreat!

Since the color of the puffs, crunches, loops and krispies found in children’s cereals aren’t seen in nature, you might suspect they aren’t as healthy as the dull beige, brown and tan flakes that fill adult’s bowls in the morning.

You’d be right.

A study the April issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that kid’s breakfast cereals were significantly higher in sugar, calories and salt but contained less fiber and protein than cereals marketed for adults.

Researchers looked at 161 cereals and identified 46 percent as being are heavily marketed at children. The majority of the children’s cereals — 66 percent — failed to meet national nutrition standards.

They also found that nutrient content claims made for the kids’ cereals were often misleading. For example, kid’s cereals marketed as “low fat” or “low sugar” weren’t lower in calories while brands boasting “whole grain” didn’t have more fiber. In fact, these cereals had just as much salt, sugar and fat as other brands without health claims.

Numerous studies have documented the importance of eating breakfast for children and, it must be said, even the crappiest kid’s cereals are fortified with nutrients to compensate for all of the natural goodness that’s been sucked out of them during processing.

But if your child or you (since there are plenty of grown-up Cap’n Crunch fans out there) are going to eat cereal in the morning, why not make a better choice? Look for cereals with less than 4 teaspoons of sugar per serving and at least four grams of fiber. And while you’re at it, use non-fat or skim — not whole — milk. You’ll get all of the nutritional benefits, but less of the fat and calories.